Rogers Hornsby vs Tris Speaker: Career Stats Comparison
Tris Speaker has the better career line of the two, leading 8 of the 14 scored categories on this page (1 further counting total is shown but not scored). Rogers Hornsby played 1915–1937 as a hitter; Tris Speaker played 1907–1928 as a hitter.
- AVG (Batting Average):
- Hits divided by at bats. .300 is the traditional mark of an excellent hitter.
- HR (Home Runs):
- Hits on which the batter circled the bases and scored, almost always by clearing the outfield fence.
- RBI (Runs Batted In):
- Runs that scored as a direct result of a batter's plate appearance.
- OPS (On-Base Plus Slugging):
- On-base percentage plus slugging percentage, the quickest single summary of offensive value. .900 or better is star-level.
Data updated
Rogers Hornsby (1915–1937) and Tris Speaker (1907–1928) — they broke in during the 1910s and the 1900s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Rogers Hornsby finished with 2,930 hits and 301 home runs; Tris Speaker finished with 3,514 hits and 117 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Rogers Hornsby, with 301 to Tris Speaker's 117.
- Who had the higher OPS? Rogers Hornsby, with 1.010 to Tris Speaker's .928.
- Who had the higher batting average? Rogers Hornsby, with .358 to Tris Speaker's .345.
- Who had more hits? Tris Speaker, with 3,514 to Rogers Hornsby's 2,930.
- Who drove in more runs? Rogers Hornsby, with 1,584 to Tris Speaker's 1,529.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Tris Speaker, with 73,242 career PIV to Rogers Hornsby's 68,443.
- Who won more championships? Tris Speaker, with 3 World Series titles to Rogers Hornsby's 1.
Rogers Hornsby
Tris Speaker
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Rogers Hornsby and Tris Speaker. Cells highlighted in green mark the category leader. 14 of the 15 lines below are scored; the other one is a counting total on which fewer is not an achievement, so no one is awarded it. Counting stats reward longevity, and strikeouts are left unmarked because a longer career accumulates more of them. Rate stats are not era-adjusted, and the 1910s and the 1900s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Rogers Hornsby | Tris Speaker |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 2,259 | Leads: 2,789 |
| At-Bats | 8,173 | Leads: 10,195 |
| Runs | 1,579 | Leads: 1,882 |
| Hits | 2,930 | Leads: 3,514 |
| Doubles | 541 | Leads: 792 |
| Triples | 169 | Leads: 222 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 301 | 117 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,584 | 1,529 |
| Walks | 1,038 | Leads: 1,381 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 679 | 393 |
| Stolen Bases | 135 | Leads: 432 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .358 | .345 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .434 | .428 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .577 | .500 |
| OPS | Leads: 1.010 | .928 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Tris Speaker edges Rogers Hornsby 73,242 to 68,443 — driven by per-season impact — 3,329 PIV per season to 2,852 — rather than by longevity, since Tris Speaker played 22 seasons to Rogers Hornsby's 24. PIV adjusts each season to league baselines, so it's the cleanest way to compare careers across eras.
PIV is computed through the 2025 season. The career totals on this page include 2026 to date, so PIV does not yet reflect the 2026 season.
Peak Seasons
The best single seasons each player produced, ranked by OPS among qualified workloads (300+ at-bats).
Rogers Hornsby — top 3 seasons by OPS
Tris Speaker — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Rogers Hornsby leads in home runs, RBI, batting average, and OBP, while Tris Speaker owns hits, runs, and stolen bases. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Rogers Hornsby. Note that PIV actually grades Tris Speaker ahead, which means Rogers Hornsby's edge is partly volume. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Rogers Hornsby and Tris Speaker careers compare
The careers of Rogers Hornsby (1915–1937) and Tris Speaker (1907–1928) overlapped from 1915 to 1928, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. The two careers are close in length, 2,259 games for Rogers Hornsby and 2,789 for Tris Speaker across 24 and 22 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. At the plate, Rogers Hornsby walked more often than struck out (1,038 walks, 679 strikeouts), and Tris Speaker walked more often than struck out (1,381 walks, 393 strikeouts). Rogers Hornsby is the more power-leaning hitter, with 301 of 2,930 hits leaving the park. Tris Speaker was the more frequent base stealer relative to games played.
Rogers Hornsby vs Tris Speaker: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Rogers Hornsby or Tris Speaker?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Tris Speaker leads Rogers Hornsby in 8 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Rogers Hornsby or Tris Speaker hit more home runs?
- Rogers Hornsby, with 301 to Tris Speaker's 117.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Rogers Hornsby, with 1.010 to Tris Speaker's .928.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Rogers Hornsby, with .358 to Tris Speaker's .345.
- Who had more hits?
- Tris Speaker, with 3,514 to Rogers Hornsby's 2,930.